kohler – full page magazine

creative director: david crawford, writers: michael buss (gangster, jockey, submarine, devil, ventriloquist), rob katzenstein (nymphs, pigtails), art director: rob story, photography: sacha waldman (gangster, jockey, submarine, devil, ventriloquist), erwin olaf (nymphs, pigtails)

mr. and mrs. kohler were tough, but they had good taste. rarely does an art director get to work on an account as artistic as this one was. the trick was to not fall into the trap of just shooting pretty pictures for these ads. several other art directors worked on this series, but the seven below were all me. i always tried to inject a concept into the pieces i oversaw – however hidden or abstract it was. if you look hard enough you’ll find a little intellect hidden in each. but if you need a little help, i’ve added some notes below each ad. they’ll give you some insight into the idea behind each photo.

pinstripe: it’s a faucet (the gangster), flanked by two women who represent “hot” and “cold.”

harborview: the sink is so big it could comfortably bathe a jockey (no digital trickery here – he actually fit inside the basin).

the trough: the crew of a submarine are making a submarine sandwich. we didn’t have enough money for four principals so we used the same guy over and over – just dressed him up differently. and we shot it below the deck of an old boat moored in new york.

1. the sok: after a hellish day, you can relax. who better to use as our model than the devil herself.

the verity: the ventriloquists are having a drink while the dummies carry on a conversation.

the water tiles: the nymphs who have to bathe in the cold waterfall are jealous of the one in the shower.

the bancroft: everything stands up in pairs – just like the handles on the faucet.